A template to success at last? Bradford City find form and fluency to impressively beat Stockport in the cup

12/10/2024 04:50 PM

By Tim Penfold

It may only have been the Johnstone's Paint AutoWindscreens Checkatrade Vertu Motors Trophy, but Bradford City produced arguably their best display of the season in seeing off League One Stockport to advance to the last sixteen. Graham Alexander got his big decisions right, and was rewarded with a vibrant attacking performance that could show the way forward in the league.

Alexander stuck with the 3-4-3 that had worked pretty well at the weekend. Alex Pattison and Neill Byrne's suspensions did not count for this competition, so they both started, as did Colin Doyle in goal. Ciaran Kelly made a welcome return on the left of the back three, while Corry Evans got a run out in midfield in place of the rested Richie Smallwood. Finally, Andy Cook returned in the middle of the front three, flanked by Bobby Pointon to his left and Calum Kavanagh to his right.

City started brightly, and had a big early chance when a misjudged backpass put Cook clean through, but his shot was straight at home keeper Corey Addai. Stockport responded with pressure and territory, but no real chances, and the game was already quite open when the Bantams struck twice in quick succession.

The first goal followed a nice spell of possession with the ball moved from right to left by Evans to Pointon and eventually finding its way to Kelly. His cross from deep was flicked back across the six yard box by Cook, and Kavanagh buried the finish from close range.

The second came barely two minutes later. Lewis Richards charged into a tackle in midfield, exchanged passes with Pointon as he raced forward then fizzed a low cross into Cook, who was able to take a touch, turn and hammer the ball into the net. Goal number 13 for the season, and 83 overall for Cook, who is fast closing in on Dean Windass and James Hanson in the all-time list.

Stockport were reeling, but managed to stabilise themselves and got back into the game via a series of errors. The first was a refereeing one, as a firm but fair challenge by Jack Shepherd on the corner of the box was punished with a home free kick and a booking. The second was by Colin Doyle, who expected a cross and was caught out by Oliver Norwood whipping the ball into towards his near post. Doyle fumbled it across the line, and it was 2-1.

The third error, seven minutes later, gave Stockport their equaliser. A fairly harmless looking diagonal ball was aimed at Brad Halliday, who tried to head it back to Doyle but badly misjudged the power needed. Odin Bailey nipped in and clipped the ball past the visiting keeper and into the net to make it 2-2.

At this point, City lost composure. They made sloppy errors and gifted the ball to the hosts in dangerous positions. Stockport didn't really take full advantage of this though, overhitting crosses and misplacing the final pass too often, and gave the visitors a chance to recover. Alex Pattison got the team going again, driving through midfield only for his shot to lack conviction, and it was 2-2 at half time.

This is where Graham Alexander made his key decision, choosing to swap his wide players. Kavanagh and Pointon had played reasonably well in the first half, but both naturally tended to go down the line on their stronger foot, which meant that they got in the way of the wingbacks rather than linking with them.

Kavanagh has played well on the left of a front three before, and he used his pace and running to cause problems behind the Stockport defence. He got free down the left and his cross was just beyond Pointon, but this attack triggered a series of corners that the hosts struggled to deal with, and both Richards and Halliday stung the hands of Addai with drives from the edge of the box.

Pointon, meanwhile, was notionally stationed on the right flank but drifted all over the right half of the field, finding pockets of space and linking well. He spun away from Stockport players in his own half, bringing the ball forward then playing a pinpoint through ball into the path of the charging Pattison, whose shot was just too close to the keeper. The Bantams were on top, and then cemented their position.

The ball was played over the top down the left of the Stockport defence. Halliday, who had had a tough game up to that point, pressed the defender, backed up by Pattison, and between them they won the ball back. Pattison swung the ball across, Cook's run acted as a decoy to remove the defender and the ball made its way to Kavanagh at the far post who drilled it into the bottom corner.

At this point the Bantams were rampant, producing the best attacking football they've managed all season. Pattison charged forward from deep again, sliding the ball between defenders for Kavanagh whose chance at a hattrick was well saved. The front three worked brilliantly, a perfect balance of attributes between Pointon's technique and creativity, Cook's physicality and Kavanagh's tireless running. Pattison had a fine game running forward from deep positions, and was put through again by Pointon late on only for the shot to be saved.

Eventually Stockport managed to get some pressure and territory, as City sat a little deep in the closing stages. However, they ran into a brick wall in the form of Byrne, Shepherd and Aden Baldwin, on for Kelly. For all of their late possession, they managed one shot of note, and that was straight at Doyle. It was well managed by City, with Cook a vital outlet when they cleared their lines, and the game ended with the ball in Stockport's half and City managing time professionally.

It would be reasonable to say that Bradford City have played below their potential this season, grinding out wins rather than stringing together consistent performances. This is probably the best 90 minutes that they have produced, even taking into account the self-inflicted wobble in the first half, and surely shows that 3-4-3 is the way to go in the next few weeks. The front three picks itself for Saturday, although Pattison's suspension leaves questions about the balance in central midfield.

But most importantly, this gives City a standard to aim for. This is what this team is capable of, and performances of this level will cause problems for any League Two team. We just have to produce this consistently now.